Abdullah M. I. Syed

Aura I & II encapsulates the concepts of unity, beauty and infinite presence of Divne in Islam and its relation in particular, to light. The works arise from my memories of the moon and my obsession of finding ever more perfect parables, shapes and materials that are praised throughout history for their purity and Islamic concepts of the divine attributes of jalāl (beauty) and jamāl (majesty). The body of work features an intimate gathering of hand crocheted prayer caps (taqiyah or topi), which in Islamic culture, Muslim men use to cover their heads when perform daily prayers. The artist stitched together hundreds of such prayer caps with family members, friends, and professional seamstress in Pakistan, USA and Australia. The resulting hive of hundreds of prayer caps is then mounted on a Perspex dome and illuminated from within to form an intimate sense of the sublime in Aura II. Furthermore, the concise set of shapes, materials, and the play of light in each work present probing questions about abstract forms, blank spaces, time and the Absolute encouraging a contemplative and meditative response.

Aura I and II (2013 -) are hemispheric reliefs, constructed from white and black taqiyah (skullcaps), which are sewn together in a hexagonal pattern to create a large circle. This circular ‘hive of caps’ is then mounted on white and black acrylic domes. The caps are puffed up, repeating the semi-spherical shape and producing a moon-like surface illuminated from within, creating halo-like effects. The halos are jamāli qualities of awe and beauty inviting viewers to stand in front of the sculpture, contemplate and be surrounded by it. The resulting works are glowing spherical moons, comprised of hundreds of prayer caps emanating light from within.

Aura I and II are not only created to explore beauty, propositions and light, but also to explore the Divine essence that resides in sublime beauty. They reflect Syed's lifelong pursuit of this transient nature of beauty and perfection, which operates on both a perceptual and conceptual level, affecting the viewer with a very physical experience of a concept that is abstract in nature. At a distance, when a viewer stands still as a solemn whiteness in front of these glowing celestial objects, they are left in awe.